Genre

Noise

Roots in early-20th-century futurism; modern noise scenes formed in the late 1970s and 1980s, especially Japan's Kansai region (Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe), plus the US and Europe; a strong US scene followed in the 2000s.

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About Noise

Music that uses sound normally treated as unwanted, such as feedback, distortion, static and raw electronics, as its main material, usually with little or no melody, harmony or steady rhythm. Harsh noise piles these into dense, extremely loud walls of sound, and live shows are often short, physical and confrontational. It sits at the extreme edge of experimental and industrial music.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · Checked Oct 2026

Essential artists 9

  • Einstürzende Neubauten · 1980–present · West Berlin, Germany
    Industrial pioneers known for instruments built from scrap metal and construction tools, cited as an influence by Ministry, Swans, KMFDM and Nine Inch Nails.
  • The Haters · 1979–present · New York City, US (founded)
    One of the earliest acts of the modern noise scene, making sound through grinding and destruction and linking up with Merzbow and other early noise artists.
  • Hijokaidan · 1979–present · Kyoto / Osaka, Japan
    Among the acts that spearheaded Japanese noise, evolving from destructive performance art into dense walls of sound; leader Jojo Hiroshige's Alchemy Records released much of the scene.
  • Incapacitants · 1981–present · Osaka, Japan (later Tokyo)
    One of the best-known Japanese noise acts of the 1980s, making "pure" feedback-driven noise they call "hard noise".
  • Masonna · 1987–present · Osaka, Japan
    Key Japanese noise artist famous for explosive live sets lasting only seconds, who has opened for Sonic Youth and Beck in Japan.
  • Merzbow · 1979–present · Tokyo, Japan
    Central figure of Japanese noise with more than 500 releases; AllMusic has called him the most important artist in noise.
  • Pharmakon · 2009–present · New York City, US
    Prominent figure in New York's experimental underground since her teens, known for confrontational live sets; Pitchfork named her track "Bestial Burden" among the best songs of 2014.
  • Throbbing Gristle · 1975–1981, 2004–2010 · Kingston upon Hull, England, UK
    Widely regarded as founders of industrial music; their Industrial Records label gave the genre its name and its slogan "Industrial Music for Industrial People".
  • Wolf Eyes · 1996–present · Michigan, US (Detroit / Ann Arbor)
    A prominent act in contemporary noise who helped spearhead the 2000s US noise scene; AllMusic credits them with some of the genre's most defining sounds.

Labels, collectives & more 22

Artists tagged Noise 144

The most connected 48. See them all on the scene map.

Related genres

Industrial / EBMExperimentalDark ambient / drone

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